After deciding the strategy, the Development Planning Commission and the Equipment Company began a intensive arrangement together. On behalf of the Development Planning Commission, Wang Zhenbin responded to the three companies including Shuangluo and others, agreeing to meet with their market leaders, but there were two requirements. One was that the meeting with the three companies would be arranged together, rather than a separate meeting; the other was that the three companies would send high-level technical department heads to participate in the talks at the same time.

Albert and others didn't find anything strange about the latter condition, because equipment procurement at this level often involves specific technical issues, so it is normal to ask personnel from the technical department to participate in the negotiations together. For the previous article, everyone was a little puzzled. Logically speaking, it is the best strategy to negotiate with several competing companies, and how can we invite several companies to negotiate together?

Despite the doubts, the three companies responded quickly. Then, the China Planning Commission directly sent out an invitation letter, inviting several companies' marketing personnel and technicians to Yubei City, Linhe Province to attend a so-called "long-distance natural gas compression transmission technology seminar". The meeting lasted for three days. In addition to technical discussions, there were also arrangements for visiting scenic spots.

"Yubei, what kind of city is this?"

After receiving the invitation letter, Albert and others were all confused. They asked their subordinates to search on the map of China for a long time before they found this extremely inconspicuous city. Other information about this city was completely impossible. They called the employees of the China Representative Office to learn that those employees were limited to knowing that Yubei is a city in northern China, which seemed to have some industrial foundation, but they didn't seem to have heard of any particularly well-known companies.

"Is this place related to the West-East Gas Pipe?" Albert asked his colleagues at the Shimanz China Representative Office.

"According to our understanding, it should have nothing to do with it. It is neither the starting point nor the end point of the West-East Gas Transportation, nor the end point, and even the passing cities are not counted." The colleague replied.

“So, is this a scenic spot?”

"Sorry, Mr. Albert, I have never heard of anyone traveling to this place..." The other party answered honestly. As a German stationed in China, the employee of the representative office is very keen on traveling in China, but he can tell his conscience that Yubei is definitely not in the top 100 places in China's tourist attractions. If you want to rank in the top 500, you may have to count on the judges to let the judges go.

Despite the full of doubts, Albert and others set out at the designated time, and they also brought several senior engineers with them. The banner that the other party put forward was a technical seminar, and it was obviously not suitable to not bring a few engineers himself. In Albert and others, they felt that this seminar was just a guise set up by China. It was probably because the China Development and Planning Commission was embarrassed to talk about the project negotiations directly, so they created the title of a seminar.

"Mr. Albert, Mr. Maxwin, Mr. Schlaire, welcome, welcome you to visit Yubei."

At the extremely simple Yubei Airport, Albert and his party were warmly welcomed by China. Their three teams did not deliberately arrive on the same plane. The city of Yubei is too small. There is only one flight from Beijing to Yubei every two days, so they naturally got together.

The first thing that came forward was Wang Zhenbin, the director of the China Development and Planning Commission, who had heard of Albert and others, but had never met. It is said that this director was directly in charge of the West-East Gas Pipeline and had the power to make a big fuss in equipment procurement.

"Mr. Wang, I'm very happy to meet you."

Albert, Max and Schlaire stepped forward, shook hands with Wang Zhenbin enthusiastically, and greeted each other and their families. Of course, this kind of greeting was sincere and there was no need to make all kinds of malicious speculations.

After saying these saliva, Wang Zhenbin began to introduce to the foreign guests other officials who came to greet them with him, including Feng Xiaochen, general manager of China State Equipment Industry Corporation, Qi Ruicang, deputy mayor and director of the government policy research office of Yubei City, Ren Changbao, director of Yubei Heavy Machinery Factory, etc. Albert and others couldn't understand these Chinese official titles, and just mechanically shook hands with everyone, smiled, and occasionally patted each other's shoulders to show their intimacy.

After completing these red tape, staff came up to invite foreign guests and leaders to board the bus and go to the hotel to stay. Since the personnel from the three companies arrived on the same plane, each team had as many as five or six people. Ren Changbao transferred three minibuses from the factory, and each company's personnel took one, and several officials who picked up the plane accompanied each car separately.

The car that the team of Shimanz company was accompanied by Qi Ruicang. When the minibus drove out of the airport and headed towards Yubei city, Albert sat in the front row, turned his head to look at the scene outside the window, and began to believe what his colleagues in the representative office said to him, that Yubei is definitely not a scenic spot. The Chinese arranged for them to come to Yubei for a meeting, not a three-day trip to Yubei.

After watching for a while, Albert turned around, pretended to be careless, and asked Qi Ruicang, who was sitting beside him: "Mr. Qi, I take the liberty to ask, why did your National Development and Planning Commission choose to hold this seminar in Yubei?"

"This question, I think, should be the concern of the leaders of the National Development and Planning Commission for Yubei." Qi Ruicang replied. He has been studying in the United States for many years and has no obstacles to communicating with Albert in English.

"Hmm?" Albert made a nasal voice representing questions.

Qi Ruicang said: "Mr. Albert doesn't know that our Yubei City is one of the oldest industrial cities in China. After the reform and opening up, Yubei's enterprises were proactive and overcame difficulties such as resource depletion and technology aging, and successfully achieved the transformation and rejuvenation of the old industrial base. At present, more than 300 companies in Yubei have products sold overseas and are widely popular with overseas customers. For example, our Yubei Xinmin Reducer Factory was originally just a speed reducer workshop of Yubei Heavy Machinery Factory. After introducing foreign investment, its management level and technical level rose rapidly. The year before yesterday, it reached a strategic cooperation agreement with the American Obir Reducer Company to carry out OEM production for Obir Company. Currently, 85% of the OBIER reducers sold worldwide are manufactured in Yubei. By the way, I remember that Ximanz is also one of Obir's customers."

"Uh, that's true..." Albert replied slowly. The American Obile Reducer Company is a world-renowned reducer company. The large equipment produced by Shimanz did use Obile Reducer. However, when it comes to Obile Reducer being manufactured by Chinese people, especially in this inexplicable Yubei City, Albert didn't know. What's more, what does this have to do with the West-East Gas Pipeline? What does this mean by the deputy mayor who graduated from the University of Chicago and has a good English language? What does this really want to say to himself?

"Also, our Yubei Container Factory is a startup company for returning overseas students. The company uses more than 20 latest US patents to produce more than ten containers of different specifications, with advanced technology, high quality and low price. It has only been established for three years and has occupied 20% of the global container market. Is Mr. Albert interested in learning about it?"

Qi Ruicang continued to say unrestrained words. It cannot be blamed for this. He has worked in the China Merchants Association for several years. He has just been transferred to the position of director of the Political Research Office and has the title of deputy mayor. When he spoke, he still cannot get rid of the adjustment of the China Merchants Association officials. Two of the three sentences are selling products from Yubei.

Albert had to do it perfunctorily: "If time can be arranged, I'm very interested in seeing this amazing company and their products."

"besides……"

"Uh, Mr. Qi, if possible, I want to wait until my assistant is present and listen to Mr. Qi's introduction together. Do you think it's OK?"

"Of course, I will arrange for the officials of Yubei Investment and Merchants to wait for the time you find convenient."

"Thank you, thank you, wow, look, what did I see, your country's sheep are actually black..."

Seeing Albert pretending to be fussing and turning to admire a black sheepdog passing by outside the window, Qi Ruicang smiled proudly. Feng Xiaochen had instructed not to disclose the arrangements of the Planning Commission and the equipment company in advance, and to catch the other party off guard. Since the real reason cannot be told, Qi Ruicang of course can only be nonsense. Besides, what he said cannot be considered completely nonsense. What if Albert is really interested in reducers and containers produced in Yubei? Isn’t this another sales opportunity?

Like Albert, Schlaire and Maxwin also encountered perfunctory by Chinese accompanies Wang Zhenbin and Feng Xiaochen. Schlaire deliberately mentioned the compressor quotation in front of Wang Zhenbin, but Wang Zhenbin just made a move and did not discuss it in depth with Schlaire, which made Schlaire even more weird.

That night, the Yubei Municipal Government hosted a grand banquet to welcome the sales directors and technical authorities of three large multinational companies. Needless to say, the details of which were in mind. Albert, Max and Schlaire had something to do, so the banquet naturally couldn't taste anything. The technical experts who came to China for the first time were eye-opening, shouting and feasting, and their favorability towards China instantly exploded. This was something that Albert and others could not control. Albert and the three took the opportunity to clink glasses and gathered together to exchange views, but the three said that they had not seen through China's arrangements and could only wait and see.
Chapter completed!